


Weeping Angel

by Noizchild



Series: Wasteland 2011 [7]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Angels, Dante's Inferno-inspired, Gen, Misery, Pain, Torment, Wasteland, escape plan, escaping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 23:04:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6259705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noizchild/pseuds/Noizchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Second volume up. Third and final part of the "Wasteland 2011" trilogy. Allen has escaped from the tower and is trying to make his way to freedom through the Fallen City. Along the way, he meets a few angels that desire the same thing he does- freedom from the misery they have been shackled with. Allen-centered, but Road appears in flashbacks and nightmares.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Disappearances

Weeping Angel

Key Zero: Disappearances:

An undisclosed number of angels go missing from Heaven every year. A lesser percent end up on Earth and live among humans. The larger cut ends up in the Fallen City. The angels in the Order try to figure out how this keeps happening. For years, they couldn't come up with the right answer or how to stop it.

One of the key problems is that once an angel is lost, there is no way to contact them or track their every move. Earth has spotty connections due to the mix of demons and angels shuffled among the humans. The Fallen City is the biggest dead zone that the Order has encountered. Once an angel ends up there, all hope of getting them back out goes up in flames. Nobody really controls the Fallen City, therefore the Order and the rest of Heaven can't decide on how to administrate the correct divine punishment and get back their lost angels. In the end, the multiple missing cases wind up piled high in the back office only to be glanced over once in a golden moon.

The Order has another missing angel case on their hands. Allen Walker has been lost from Heaven since back in the last spring. The heads of the Order feared the worst. The only problem they had was trying to retrieve him. They couldn't even confirm if he was still alive. Even still, some of the other angels insisted that they still search for and bring him home.

Meanwhile, the Fallen City gave way to a dusty summer that year.


	2. Ophelia

Key One: Ophelia:

Allen wandered around the deserted landscape of a city. He had been walking around for days and days. He had no idea how long since he escaped from the tower or where he was going. The fog and heated blowing winds did little to aid him on his quest. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of freedom from this forsaken city. The only time he would stop is to look around at the ruin and crumbling glass on the blackened soil. Most of the buildings were half-sunken into the ground. The sight of them made him shudder. Allen had to make himself keep walking and not look at the destruction around him.

The rocky black ground made his feet ache, but he still wouldn't stop walking. The eerie quiet around him did little to ease his nerves. Despite the weakness in his body, Allen pushed himself to run at one point. To his surprise, the infection in his body laid dormant and not crippling him. The angel had the guess that the air quality was different from the tower. His only problem was that everything looked the same around him as he kept walking.

Allen walked over rolling blackened hills. The gushing burning winds tried to knock him to the ground at one point on his journey. He shielded himself as he tried to remain standing. He couldn't even tell if it was day or night in this rotting city. In the heavy fog, Allen turned as if he had the feeling that someone was following him. He stopped and turned to see a figure standing just inches away from him. Curious, Allen walked over for a better look. An androgynous person stared him down silent. The person took off running when the angel tried to walk over to them. Allen got another look as the fog blew by.

"Angel, aren't you?" the person asked. They sank down to the ground as they gasped in pain from another headache. They let out a strangle cry.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked as they raced over to them. The person looked up at him and desperately tried to crawl away. Allen moved in closer as they kept trying to escape. To his horror, the androgynous looks like a living skeleton with dirty skin and tangled up short dark hair. Their clothes looked crawled away and raggedy. He backed up gasping. The person stared at him with big eyes.

"Are you… an angel too?" Allen asked. The person let off a raspy chuckle.

"Heh," they said, "I suppose so, but I used to be human." The angel picked up a handful of gravel and threw it back to the ground. "What a hell this is," she muttered, "This is crap!" They rose to their feet as they looked around the dilapidated city with Allen.

"Long ago, this place was a beautiful and prosperous city," the angel told him, "Nobody knows what happened to it or how. In the end, it turned into this ruined, empty Hell around us." The angel turned their attention to Allen.

"Now, because the monsters have come and taken over everything," they explained, "That tower breathes life into strange plants like those over there." Huge purple alien-like flowers stood like trees in this empty Hellish city. It didn't help that they let off a foul odor in the air.

"Nobody knows what they are," the other angel told him.

"They don't?" Allen asked. The other angel asked.

"Monster flowers," they said. The angel picked up another flower off the ground and showed it to the escaped angel. "Look," they said, "This is a baby monster. Thorns all over the stem, black and gold petals, and it stinks as well." They handed it to Allen.

"The ruin polluted this city," the seasoned angel went on, "The tower pumps the poison into the ground, water, and sky. Not just the city itself, it also ruins angels like me." They placed their hand to their flat, flail chest. The angel sat down on the ground.

"The monsters ruined everything," they complained as Allen took a seat next to them, "They trap us in this nightmare wasteland and nobody can leave. There is no join here. Cries of agony fill the night. Nature goes to die here with our hopes and dreams." Allen looked around though the fog.

"Do you eat here?" he asked. The other angel glared at him.

"There is no food here!" they snapped, "We city angels feed on ourselves!" The other angel drew their knees to their chest.

"The weak ones go first," they explained, "It's about my turn now." The angel smirked to themselves. Even here in this city, we have ranks. Lower circle angels are eaten by those trapped in the higher circle. They used to be high and proud, but now they throw their weight around to us weaker angels." The seasoned angel rose to their feet laughing.

"So let them have their way," they said, "Let their chains weigh them down! Let them live here in torture with their misery. It's hell in this city anyway! It's worse than death. We all can't die if we wanted to." The angel paused and walked over to Allen.

"That's the monsters punishment for us," they said, "Immortality. They rot and because really ugly. I'll be eaten and released." The angel laughed, but then paused in fear. "But, I don't want to be eaten!" they yelped, "That's why I keep running away. But then I get so hungry, that I feel so disgusted with myself." The angel's mood changed into a deeper melancholy one.

"Back when I was human," they lamented "I killed both of my children because I was abandoned and couldn't take care of them. Now, I can't have children anymore. I haven't been able to forgive myself since. Just like my lovers, God has abandoned me." The angel sank down to the ground and buried their head into their lap. Allen was about to say something when a low groan filled the air. He rose to his feet, looking around.

"Hear that?" the other angel him on the ground, "When night comes, those famous angels scream out in pain. The monsters inflict a pain their brains worse than any cancer. They pray for death, but God has rejected them and lets them live in their misery for eternity. The monsters have no desire to kill them, so the angels in the city scream." The other angel rose to their feet.

"Come, I'll show you," they said, "You'll see how they cry." Allen dropped the flower on the ground and followed behind. The angels walked further along the blackened sharp ground. They came down to a pit filled with skeleton-like angels screaming in pain. The high winds carried their screams throughout the city. The dirt on their skin and the exposed bones made their ugliness even worse. Some of them rolled around in their pain. Most were huddled over and screaming. Allen took steps back at their cries. He couldn't decide which was worse—this or the vegetated angels locked into the tubes in the graveyard basement of the tower. The city angels' cries made his stomach turn. His guide only laughed before pausing with shock.

"The pain's starting to take me too," they said as they clutched their head. Allen rushed to his guide's aid as they sank to their knees in pain.

"Go away," they hissed. Allen took a sit back confused.

"Go where?" he asked. The other angel rose to their feet with a demonic-like mask look on their face.

"Do you want to suffer this hell too?!" they asked in a deep, terrifying growl. The sound and face sent Allen running aimlessly through the barrow wasteland. The other angel had to the lunge at him to make him do so. Allen ran away through the endless wails of torment.


	3. Rescue

Key Two: Rescue:

It took a long while, but Allen finally managed to regain his senses and do some thinking. _I can't leave him out in this Hell_ , the angel thought. After all, that angel was nice to him and showed him around a bit. Plus, Allen could tell they felt remorse for killing their children. It didn't take long for to make his resolve. However, it didn't take him long to realize that he had a small problem.

"I don't know where I am!" he shouted out in the emptiness. Nevertheless, Allen turned back around and started his search. Walking through the abandoned city to escape was bad enough as it was. Backtracking to go find was just as bad if not worse. By this time, the heated winds picked and blew dust all around. Allen fought to remain standing as her pushed through the storm.

 _I have to get back to him!_ , he thought. He pressed on further. The conditions only made the walk worse. After many miles of walking, Allen finally fell to the blackened sand below him. He huddled up into a ball to try and take the violent blowing winds around him. The angel didn't even have the strength get up in the dust storm.

By morning, Allen awoke to someone kicking him on the shoulder. He slowly opened the eyes and looked up. A skinny man with dirty blonde curly hair gave him the evil eye. Allen blinked at him confused.

"Who are… you?" he asked. The standing man kicked him in the chest. The angel on the ground coughed in agony.

"Hey!" he shouted, "What the hell?!" The blonde man turned to the sky and looked up.

"Everyone!" he yelled, "I caught another one!" Allen looked around as a high-pitched whistle filled the air. He froze when a whole hoard of demonic-like faces came out from the rubble. Allen's eyes moved to the man standing behind him.

"Uh… what is this?" he asked. The man smirked at him. The sight of his rotting teeth made Allen reel back startled.

"You came to the wrong place, son!" the man snapped. He turned the faces above them and lifted his hand. The demonic-looking angels raced downwards towards Allen. The angel on the ground looked around for a weapon. His strength hadn't fully healed up yet, so couldn't use his arm. Allen shield himself for the upcoming attack.

"Stop!" someone yelled. Screams, a violent kick to the abdomen, and the air leaving a body with a gag raced over the victim's head. When it all got quiet, Allen looked up to see a scarred up back blocking out the dim sun in the sky. He instantly recognized that voice.

"It's you," Allen said in a small voice to his guide. The tall curly-haired angel glared at the angel blocking him from the target.

"You!" he snapped, "Get out of the way! He's a tower angel!"

"No, no!" the guide screamed, "He's not! He's new in the city!"

"You're liar!" the man snapped.

"I'm not!" the guide screamed, "You have to believe me, Tate!"

"Then why haven't I seen him around the city?' the man asked.

"Uh… he's been in hiding!" the guide blurted out. Tate took a step forward.

"Where?" he asked. The guide frantically looked around for a random location in the dusted empty street.

"There!" they yelled as they pointed to the building directly behind Tate. He turned and raised an eyebrow at the broken windows.

"The pachinko parlor?" he asked.

"Yes!" the guide yelped. Allen, Tate, the attackers, and the guide all stood down for tense seconds. Tate snorted and turned away. Allen and the guide watched as the other angels retreated into the dusty clouds above. The victim turned to his guide who was now getting them a cold look of their own.


	4. Plot

Key Three: Plot:

"Why did you come back here?" the guide hissed once the crowd left. Allen tilted his head at them.

"What?" he asked.

"Didn't I tell you to go away?" the guide barked, "Why the hell would you come back?!"

"I came back for you," Allen said simply. The other angel looked at him in an odd way.

"What?" they asked.

"I did some thinking," Allen told her, "I just can't leave you here. I am taking you with me." The guide really looked puzzled now.

"Are you crazy?!" they yelled, "No angel has ever escaped this God forsaken hell hole and lived, much less two together!"

"I have to try," the other angel insisted.

"You won't make it," the guide told him, "I can't come with you either."

"Why not?" Allen asked. The guide sank down to the rocky black ground.

"Too late for me," the angel lamented, "I have sinned. I can't go back now." Allen stuck out his hand to them. The guide looked at him with big eyes.

"You still have time to redeem yourself," he told her, "Come with me now and I will help you." The angel stared at him with big silent eyes.

"I don't understand you," they whispered.

"What do you mean?" Allen asked. The guide shook their head.

"Why are you doing this?" they asked, "Don't you know you can't escape from here?"

"Yeah, I've heard that one before," he admitted. The other angel twisted their face into confusion at him.

"Then… Why?" they asked, "Why do you even bother?"

"I have to try," Allen said, "I can't stay in this place anymore!" Allen gave the other angel a determined look on his face. He offered his hand out to the other angel again. "I will escape from here and you're coming with me!" His guide shook their head confused.

"But… why me?" they asked. Allen tried to find the exact answer to that one himself. He ended up giving up half way.

"Honestly," the angel admitted at last, "I don't really know. However, it just doesn't feel right to just leave you here after you saved me from those other angels."

"So?" the guide asked.

"So, are you coming with me or not?" Allen offered. The other angel narrowed their eyes at him.

"Something tells me that you won't take no for an answer on this, right?" they asked.

"Right," Allen's own still full-toothed smile told them. The guide dropped their shoulders and sighed.

"Fine," they said, "I'll come with you." Allen's face fully lit up in a glow for the first time since he came to this city.

"See? That wasn't so hard was it?" he asked. The guide rolled their eyes and frowned.

"It won't work," the angel muttered under their breath. Allen pretended not to hear them.

"By the way," he said, "I didn't quite catch your name. Mine is Allen Walker." The other angel gave him a little smile.

"Ophelia," she said. Allen gave her a long blank stare.

"Ophelia?" he repeated, "Wait… Then you're a…" The other angel nodded at him.

"Yes," she replied, "I am a woman." Ophelia gave him a surprisingly cute smile after she told him that.


	5. Invitation

Key Four: Invitation:

"In order to get out of this place, we can't do this alone," Ophelia told him, "We will need back-up."

"How do we do that?" Allen asked. The other angel gave him a proud smile.

"Leave that to me," she said, "I know just the people." Ophelia led him to an abandoned-looking hotel in the eighth circle of the city.

"Stay out of sight for now," she instructed him, "They can tell if you came from the tower."

"How?" Allen asked. Ophelia didn't answer him. She turned and pushed open the glass door.

"Hello?" she whispered inside, "It's me, I'm back." The angel slipped inside and walked inside the darkened lobby. Allen watched as she walked up the counter and rang the bell.

"Butterfly Requiem," she said in a whisper. A man with dark messy hair popped up from behind the counter and stared at her.

"Ophelia?" he asked, "Ophelia, is that you?"

"Yes," the woman replied. The man stood up straight. He took looked bone skinny and pale. However, Allen noticed that this man had only one arm. Ophelia talked as if she knew the man really well.

"What can I do for you?" the man asked her.

"I need your help with something," she told him.

"What?" he asked. Ophelia's eyes darted around for one moment before leaning in.

"A vacation," she whispered. The dark-haired angel's grew wide.

"No…" he murmured.

"We have to try this," the other angel whispered.

"You know we can't leave the city," the man whispered back, "If we try to escape, they will kill us!"

"I met someone who can get us out," Ophelia said, "But we can't do it alone. We need your eyes." The man narrowed his eyes at her.

"Show me this guy who you claim can get you out of the city," he demanded.

"Alight, Harry," she said. Outside, Allen looked up to see her pushing the glass door open to let him inside. Harry's jaw dropped when he saw the tower angel.

"This is Allen Walker," Ophelia told her friend, "He is going to get us out of this city. Please don't turn him over to the others."


	6. Map

Key Five: Map:

Harry stared at them all in silence. "Why did you bring that tower angel here?" he asked, hissing.

"He can help us escape," Ophelia insisted.

"You're out of your mind!" the one-armed angel shouted as he pounded his good fist against the counter, "They will beat us up for housing an escaped angel! You know they don't take kindly to angel housing fugitives!"

"But he can help us!" she argued.

"Help us do what?" Harry asked, "Get our asses kicked. No thank you! I just want to stay out of their radar! This plan of yours is suicide!" Allen watched them argue back and forth. The way he paced around said that he had to say something, anything.

"We can escape from here!" Ophelia shouted with her arms folded across her chest, "Allen's already escaped from the tower and now he's going to get us out of the city too!"

"How?!" the other angel yelled. The female angel smirked at him.

"That's where you come in," she told him. Harry blinked at her with big eyes.

"Huh?!" he asked. Allen finally took a step forward.

"May I say something?" he asked. The other two angels turned to him. Ophelia glared at him as if warning him to shut up. Allen felt that he couldn't remain quiet anymore.

"We just need someone to make us a map of this whole city so that we can find our way out," he said. Harry narrowed his eyes at him.

"The whole city?!" he snapped, "Are you fucking crazy?! That would take me weeks!"

"Oh come on," Ophelia insisted, "You have the best eyes in the whole city. You can see everything from miles on it."

"Yes, but if they find out I still have my ability, the monsters will end up dragging me into the tower as well," he pointed out, "They've already taken my left arm here when I tried to save Marion." He flung an empty sleeve towards them.

"Please?" Ophelia pleaded with big, innocent eyes. Harry tried to look away in vain. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

"Give me two weeks tops," he growled. Ophelia's face lit up brighter than a Christmas tree as she rushed forward to hug her old friend.

"Thank you, you won't regret this!" she cheered. _I doubt that_ , Harry thought. Instead of voicing that, he pushed her away.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, "In the mean time, try to stay out of sight in this hotel. I _really_ don't want Tate and his animals to come searching around this place, giving us more Hell."

"Right," Ophelia said. She tugged at her savior angel's innocence arm. "Come on, Allen," she whispered. This time, the angel went back to silence as she dragged him down the hall. Harry watched them, shaking his head. _This won't work, don't they see that?_ , he thought. He headed into the office to get to work on the city-wide map.


	7. Dreams

Key Six: Dreams:

Her rough hand stroked his back. He huddles in a little ball to escape her touch. He could hear her laughing at him.

"Aw, why so scared?" she asked him. Allen clenched his teeth and tried not to give her the satisfaction of what he felt in that particular time. She cussed at him under her breath. A sharp kick came to his lower back. Allen bit into his lower lip as he sucked in a mouthful of arm. This was back when he still had his wings. What was left of his power still remained with him. Road rolled him to face her. She leaned in close to his face.

"I own you," the monster whispered, "Never forget that." She didn't enjoy the cold glare in his eyes. Road slammed his face into the cold marble. Even that didn't do much to shatter him. However, she's not the only the one who can read into thoughts by looking into eyes. Allen read in Road's that she wanted to do more than harm him physically.

Her caresses told him that, "I want your body." Those words alone made his stomach turn. However, it didn't end there.

Time jump forward and Allen lost his wings. He awoke chained to a bed naked. The angel looked around for any signs of comfort. A grey hand caressed his chest. His eyes darted upwards to see a pair of gold ones staring down at him. A cold smirk crossed that face. Her weight pinned him down in place. Her lips touched his ear as he tried to squirm away from her body.

"Just as I said," Road told him in a low voice, "I owe you." She moved her mouth to his shoulder. Allen let off a loud gasp as she bit down. It didn't take her long to start thrusting back and forth against him. His mind became engulfed in a sea of pain and pleasure.

The angel jerked up his eyes with his body covered in sweat. He looked around and found himself in a darkened hotel room. Allen slowly pushed himself up to sitting in bed. He took long breaths to ease his heart pounding in his chest. He just about calmed down when he felt someone watching him.

"Who's there?!" Allen snapped.

"It's only me," Ophelia said, walking through the door. The other angel tried his best to relax again.

"Okay," he replied, "I'm sorry." Ophelia closed the door behind her.

"You were having nightmares about your master, weren't you?" she asked. Allen looked at her with big eyes.

"How did you…" he began to ask.

"I could hear you screaming from down the hall," Ophelia whispered. The other angel looked down at his frail hands. It chilled him to his core that Road still haunted him despite escaping from the tower. Ophelia took a seat on the foot of the bed. She patted him on the hand.

"Take time if you need to," she said in a whisper, "I'll be back to check you, okay?" Allen nodded in silence. Ophelia lightly patted him on the shoulder.

"You'll find me in the breakfast bar," she told him. Allen watched as the angel rose to her feet and walked out of the room. The exorcist angel blinked and shook his head.

 _I have to get myself together_ , he thought, _I need to get out of here._


	8. Team

Key Seven: Team:

Ophelia began her search for more team members. She already had the key players in mind. The angel walked up to door 207 and knocked on it. She peeked inside when it cracked open.

"Who's there?" a low voice whispered.

"Ophelia," the other angel whispered back. She stood back when the door opened wider. A taller, dark-skinned angel stared her down.

"What's up?" he asked. Ophelia glanced around for a long second before moving her hand to her chest.

"I need a little help with a project," she whispered. The man's face dropped into a frown.

"With what?" he asked.

"Vacation," the other angel replied. The man's face became rather grim as he shook his head.

"Oh hell no!" he snapped.

"But we have a strong lead!" Ophelia cried.

"It won't work!" the man yelled before trying to slam the door in her face.

The angel walked up to door 108 and knocked on it. She peeked inside when it cracked open.

"Who's there?" another man's voice whispered.

"Ophelia," the other angel whispered back. She stood back when the door opened wider. A skinny, pale angel stared her down.

"Ophelia?" he asked, "What are you doing here? What's on your mind?" Ophelia glanced around for a long second before moving her hand to her chest.

"I need a little help with a project," she whispered. The man raised an eyebrow at her.

"With what?" he asked.

"Vacation," the other angel replied. The man's face became rather grim as he shook his head.

"We can't," he whispered.

"Why not?" Ophelia asked.

"It's too dangerous," the man said.

"But we have a strong lead!" she cried.

"It won't work!" the man yelled before trying to slam the door in her face.

Yet, that woman refused to give up. She, Harry, and Allen needed these two men to help them get out of the city.

"Hear me out!" she yelled at both ends.

"Fuck off!" the dark-skinned man shouted as he tried to shut the door with her foot inside.

"Please leave me alone," the pale man pleaded as he tried to shut the door with her foot inside. Ophelia still refused to give up. She geared up for a stronger argument as she shoved her arm into both cracks.

"At least meet the guy," she said, "Hear him out and then you'll see. I won't leave until you agree to." Both men were backed into a corner as they remembered how persistent she could be. In the end, they just gave up with resistance.

"Fine," the dark-skinned angel grumbled, "Anything to shut you up and make you go away.'

"Fine," the pale angel said in a soft voice.

"Show him to me," both men said.

"Follow me," Ophelia said as she turned to walk down the hall. She kept an eye behind her the whole time. There would be no way in hall she would let these two new recruits slip away from her grasp.


	9. Charmer

Key Eight: Charmer:

Ophelia came up to Allen's room and knocked on the door. "Allen," she whispered, "It's me and I've brought some people to help us."

"Come in," he said in a low way. Ophelia pushed open the door and led the men inside. Allen peeked out from his bed. The female angel stepped closed to the bed.

"These are my good friends, Tyrone and Kit," she said, "Tyrone is great with fire powers while Kit is an excellent mechanic. These guys will be perfect to help us out on our mission." Allen looked at both men in silence as if he was looking at two new exhibits in a museum. The pale-colored angel backed away with a nervous fear written all over his face. The dark-skinned man, Tyrone, tilted his head at the angel in the bed.

"Isn't this the tower angel on the loose?" he asked. Ophelia nodded sheepishly. Tyrone shook his head.

"Oh hell no!" he shouted, "Count me out of this shit!"

"Tyrone!" Ophelia wailed.

"Wait!" Allen called. Both angels paused and looked up. Tyrone walked back to the bed.

"And why should I?" he snapped.

"We can't keep you here," Kit, the other angel, reasoned, "You have a bounty on your head." Allen gave him a blank stare.

"A bounty?" he asked.

"Every time an angel escapes from the tower," the other angel broke down, "A bounty is placed out to capture and return them." Allen stared at them.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"We get meat in return," Tyrone answered. Allen took a while to think about it.

"That it?" he asked. The men stared at him.

"Aren't you scared?" Kit asked.

"Well, yes," Allen admitted, "But I can't stay here anymore. I have to get out of here."

"Are you crazy?" Tyrone asked, "Nobody has gotten out of this mother fucker? They won't let you leave!"

"Everyone has told me this!" Allen shouted with his eyes shout, "I have seen the hell in the city and the tower! I can't become a vegetable and give up!" He opened his eyes and grasped the sheets. "I will get the Hell out here even if I end up leaving the city half dead!" The other three angels stared at him with stunned silence.

"You can't do it, you know?" Tyrone asked.

"It won't stop me from trying!" Allen said. Ophelia looked at now stunned and inspired angels.

"So what do you say?" she asked. Tyrone gave her a little smile.

"I'm in," he said simply. Kit gave him a little nod.

"I'm in too," he said.

"You have me in as well," Ophelia added. Allen gave his new teammates a proud smile.

"So when do we leave?" he asked.


	10. Plotting

Key Nine: Plotting:

Harry spread out his map on the table.

"Okay," he said, "This is the whole city." Allen, Ophelia, Tyrone, and Kit looked at the table-wide map.

"Wow!" they all said.

"There's so much detail here," Allen said amazed. Harry nodded with a smile on his face.

"Yep," he said, "I made it with my eyes in the sky."

"Eyes in the sky?" the leader asked.

"He can see around him for miles around him from the sky," Ophelia explained.

"But how?" Allen asked, "I thought all angels left their power when they left the city or lost their wings." Harry and Ophelia smiled at him in mischief.

"It's a secret," Ophelia said.

"I could show you some time," Harry added. He turned back to the map. He pointed to a black dot inches away from the tower. "We are here," he explained, "We are in the eighth circle in the city."

"Eighth circle?" Allen asked.

"That's right," Ophelia explained, "Each circle leads to the tower."

"In order to get out," Harry said, "We would have to travel through the circles. It would be best to travel at night. During the daytime, there are bounty hunters looking angels escaping." Kit shuddered at that statement.

"I hate those," he said.

"Yeah," Harry said nodding, "They will hunt in exchange for food." Allen tilted his head rather confused.

"Angel meat," Ophelia explained dryly before he could open his mouth. Allen withdrew his thought as his face went pale.

"Yes," Ophelia told him, "Not fun, I know."

"The toughest circle to leave is seven," Harry explained, "The elements are a cruel bitch there. We have to move as quickly as possible. At most, it'll take three days to cross. From there, we still have other elements to brave." His finger moved through the seventh circle to the fifth. "Now the fifth circle," he said, "There is a moat that surrenders the third level of the city. There is a boat that leaves two times a day, noon and midnight."

"I will work with the boatman to carry us across," Ophelia replied, "He usually does not agree so well, but I can handle the talking."

"From there," Harry said, "There are four more circles until we get to the entry." Everyone watched his fingers as he spoke.

"What other obstacles do we have to deal with?" Allen asked, "I know there is the wind, heat, and bounty hunters."

"Well," Tyrone said, "You'll need fire power to through this trip."

"And mechanics," Kit said.

"Alright," Allen said, "We're almost here, but we need a guide." Everyone else went quiet. The exorcist looked at his team.

"No one?" he asked.

"I don't get much out of the hotel much," Harry replied.

"I haven't been beyond the moat," Ophelia admitted. Allen sighed and lowered his head.

"Right," he said, "So we'll have to get a guide."

"But where?" Kit asked. Suddenly, Harry paused as he glanced around.

"Do you hear that?" he whispered. The rest of the team took a listen.

"No…" Ophelia said. Harry got up and raced over to the closet. With his good arm, he ripped open the door. A small dirty-looking girl looked up to see him.

"You!" he snapped. The girl struggled to think of something to say. He grabbed her and pushed her into the room. She hit the table and map with a thud. The team looked puzzled as the action happened so fast. Harry pinned her down with his free hand.

"Tell me how much you heard!" he barked, "How much have you heard?! How much have you heard?!" The girl looked up at him in a panic.

"Nothing!" she blurted out, "Though I do know of a faster way to get through the eighth circle." All eyes stayed on her. The angel glanced up at them with wide eyes. "Please, don't eat me!" She shielded herself from anyone potentially grabbing her. Allen raised an eyebrow at her.

"How well do you know this city?" he asked. The girl peeked out from her arms rather puzzled.

"I have been in and out of all nine circles in and out," the girl said quickly.

"And you would know the best ways out?" Allen asked.

"Yes!" she yelped. The lead angel gave her a little smile.

"Actually, we have a better use for you," he said, "Just… what is your name?" The girl lowered her arms still puzzled.

"Grace," the angel said, "My name is Grace."


	11. Tate

Key Ten: Tate:

"Wait!" Kit spoke up, "There's one more thing." All eyes fell upon him.

"What?" Allen asked.

"Tate," the mechanic replied. The other angels frowned.

"Oh," they said.

"Tate," Harry repeated. Allen looked back and forth at his party.

"Tate?" he asked.

"The guy that tried to have you mauled," Ophelia told him.

"Oh," Allen said with a frown.

"There go our plans," Harry murmured.

"No," Allen said, "That can't be it."

"What can we do against him, man?" Tyrone asked.

"He'll have us all killed for trying to escape," Kit said in a low voice. Allen shook his head.

"We'll have to fight back," he said.

"But how?" Kit asked, "He has his army."

"Oh…" Allen murmured. He went back into thought.

"Can't we avoid him?" Grace asked.

"How?" Harry asked, "He has eyes everyone."

"We'll think of something," Allen said. _If only I hadn't lost Timcanpy…_

"I think there is a way…" Ophelia spoke up. All eyes fell on her.

"What?" Harry asked. The host angel pressed her lips together.

"It's nothing, really," she muttered.

"Please," Allen said, "This is important!" Ophelia clenched her fists in her lap.

"Well," she mumbled, "He won't do rounds for three nights." They all stared at her intently.

"Why is that?" Allen asked. Ophelia shook her head.

"I haven't figured that out yet," she replied.

"That's good!" the leader said quickly, "This will work out perfectly!" He turned back to the rest of his crew.

"Plans will continue at sundown," he said.

"So soon?" Kit asked.

"Why not?" their leader asked, "Just get some rest and we'll take off after the sun goes down. Understood?"

"Yes," everyone said rather reluctantly.

"It'll be fine," Allen encouraged them, "We just need to follow the plan and we'll be okay." Ophelia made herself smile.

"Yeah!" she agreed. The rest of the crew relaxed for the time being. Allen smiled to himself as he headed back to his room.

The next morning, the crew headed out on their "vacation."


	12. Fleeing

Key Eleven: Fleeing:

The journey began at sundown. Grace opened the trip with her role as the guide. She led them out the fire exit of that abandoned hotel and into the back alley way.

"We have to push past the scent," she whispered, "If you stay longer in it, you will faint." They formed pair as she instructed them early that morning.

"Don't look back," Grace advised them, "Don't look back no matter what." Ophelia's grip tightened around Allen's deformed hand.

"As soon as we find the dirt bridge," Grace whispered, "We have to run and not stop for any reason."

"How do we find this bridge?" Allen asked.

"It should be right… here!" the guide said as she scanned the broken glass covered ground in front of them. At first, the team didn't get what she was talking about.

"Where?" Harry asked.

"There," Grace said as she pointed forward under the dim moonlight. The blackened dirt stood out from all of the broken glass.

"But it's covered in glass," Ophelia complained.

"That's why you have to run and never look back!" Grace said, "You have to do that right… now!" She took dashing through the broken glass past with Kit in tow. Allen shrugged as he ran after her while squeezing Ophelia's hand. Harry and Tyrone were the last pair to make it across. The team didn't stop running even when they cross thick grey smog. Kit paused when they all stopped for a rest.

"Hey, do you hear that?" he asked. Everyone looked up at the sky for a listen. A low moans filled the night sky. Most of the team's stomachs began to turn.

"It's happening again," Ophelia whispered in fear.

"What do you mean?" Allen asked, "What's going on?" The others around him sank down to their knees, succumbing to their mental pains.

"My head's about to split open!" Tyrone shouted.

"Come on, guys!" Allen cried, "You have to fight it! We need to keep going! You can't let these pains take you!" His voice was miles away from them. In a desperate attempt to look around for a way to snap his crew out of their pain, Allen noticed something lit a spark in his memory.

 _Wait a second_ , he thought, _I think I have been here before._

The small fragment of an image began to play itself in his head as he looked up at the blackened sky above.


	13. Tree

Key Twelve: Tree:

He had been here before.

-Eighteen Months Earlier-

He awoke in a drugged-up haze. Nothing looked familiar. Allen looked rather through narrowed eyes. The fog swirled around him. His ears caught deep splashing water on either side of him. The angel felt his body floating step by step, almost as if he was supported on someone's shoulders. One key detail that stuck out was a big black leafless tree standing at the other side of the pond from where they were leaving. Allen seemed to have mumbled something that caught her captor's attention because the last thing he remembered was being knocked in the head with a crowbar and being out cold.

-Present Day-

Allen saw that very tree just ahead of them. He reached down and shook Grace on the shoulder.

"Grace!" he shouted, "Grace, can you hear me?" She inched her head upwards through her pain.

"What?" she whimpered.

"Can you hear me?" the other angel asked, "Blink if you can." His words seemed so distant to her. Her head felt like it was underwater with the pain. Allen shook her on the shoulder again.

"Grace!" he yelled again, "Blink if you can hear me!" His words just now only vaguely broke through.

"Blink if you can hear me!" Allen repeated. Grace drew her eyes shut and opened them again. The leader breathed out in relief.

"Good," he said, "Look behind you."

 _I can't!_ , she whimpered in his head, _The pain is too much._

"You have to!" Allen shouted back, "I need to know something." He held out his hand. "Take my hand," he pressed. Grace's eyes began to water through the pain.

 _Who are you?_ , she asked, _Why aren't you suffering like the rest of us here?_

"Take my hand!" Allen pressed, "We don't have time!" Through her pounding pain, Grace inched her hand forward. The exorcist angel reached down and grabbed his. To her surprise, some of her mental pains began to die down. The frail angel looked around.

 _What is this?_ , she asked in his mind.

 _Never mind that now_ , Allen said, _Look behind you._

Grace gave him a strange look, _Why?_

_Just do it!_

_Okay, okay!_ Grace slowly turned and looked behind her. That lone dead leafless tree stood on the other side of the pond. At first, she didn't get what she was seeing.

_What about it?_

_I remember seeing that tree before I was taken to the tower. There's a pond just before it; I know because I heard water splashing around me as I was carried across it._

Grace looked at him with heightened interest now. _What else do you about this place?_

Allen gave her a rather sheepish look. _That's all I remember. I was knocked out afterwards. I'm so sorry if I wasn't much help._

Grace shook her head. _No, no! You gave me the information I needed. What are you trying to ask me?_

_Where exactly are we now?_

_The seventh circle of the city, in the inner section._

Allen stared at her rather shocked. _No way!_ He turned his attention to the rest of the crew. _But what about the others? We can't leave them behind._

_We can't leave with them now either. We will have to stay here until the pain subsides._

_But how long will that be?_

_It's hard to tell, but please. Let me hang on like this; I'll be able to tough it out longer like this._

Allen gave her a stern nod, _Of course._

Grace bowed her head, _Thanks Allen._

 _Sure._ He tried to tune out the hollowing wails of pain around him in the air.


	14. Storm

Key Thirteen: Storm:

The next night took a turn for the worse. None of Allen's team could predict the stormy weather heading their way. The first sign came with the high winds in the seventh circle.

"Maybe we should stop for now!" Kit shouted over the howling over their heads.

"We can't!" Allen shouted back, "We've already came this way!"

"It looks like a bad storm today!" the mechanic angel yelled. Small thunder rumbled over their heads as he spoke.

"Allen's right!" Grace yelled, "We can't stop now!"

"What if we get caught in the storm?" Kit asked.

"He's got a point!" Harry added, "The elements in this circle are no joke!" Another roll of thunder ripped through the sky. Allen squeezed onto Ophelia's hand.

"We'll have to work through the best that we can!" he shouted. All of his team eyed him with uncertainty. The lead angel sighed aloud.

"Fine," he said, "But we will stop when the weather gets worse. Other than that, we will keep going!" His team looked so relieved to hear him make the declaration. Allen turned his attention back to Grace.

"Lead the way," he ordered.

"Yes," she replied. The guide led Kit along with her on the trail. Allen dragged Ophelia along with him. Harry and Tyrone reluctantly followed behind. The latter of that pair glanced up at the sky. The thickening black clouds above did little to ease his nerves.

"Harry!" Allen yelled over his shoulder.

"Yeah?" the one-armed angel replied.

"Have many days will it take for us to cross this circle?" the leader asked. Harry took a moment to do the math his head.

"Three days if we don't run into any problems," he answered, "At this rate, it looks like it'll be eight days if the weather gets worse."

"I know a faster way through this circle," Grace spoke up.

"And how will that take?" Harry asked.

"Half a day," she said, "But we have to hurry or we'll get trapped in the storms."

"Let move out!" Allen commanded. Grace picked up the path again.

"Can we even trust her?" Harry asked aloud. "How can we be so sure that she's not leading us into a trap?"

"I'm not!" Grace argued back.

"We have to trust her!" Allen insisted, "She's all we have right now!" Harry snorted at that reply.

"I don't trust her," he mumbled. Grace and Allen pretended not to hear him.

"How is everyone, strength-wise?" the former asked.

"I'm good," Allen replied. He turned to the rest of the team, "How about everyone else?"

"I'm good condition," Tyrone answered.

"My legs are weak," Kit replied.

"Same here," Ophelia chimed in.

"And why do you care?" Harry asked. Grace turned around to the crew with a grin.

"Because, my friends," she announced, "We're going for a little hike through the mountain pass." The others looked at her in shock.

"Are you out of your mind?" Ophelia asked.

"The wind's really picking up, man," Tyrone pointed out.

"Which is why we should go now," Grace countered.

"It's too dangerous!" Kit argued, "What if we end up getting knocked off?" The guide turned to the leader.

"Allen, it's your call," she said, "Tell us what to do." The leader looked at his awaiting team. On the one hand, it did look rather dangerous with the wind picking up around them. However, if they could beat the storm as Grace estimated, this path could work out in their favor. _It's worth a shot_ , Allen thought. He lifted his head.

"We'll take the mountain pass," the leader said.

"What?!" the other angels aside from Grace yelped.

"Are you crazy?!" Harry yelled.

"Don't you realize that time is the enemy here?" Allen asked, "We don't have the luxury of waiting out the storm! It's either move now or get caught!" He paused and breathed out. "Grace, please lead the way," he commanded.

"Yes," she replied, "Everyone strong enough for the mountain pass, carry the weaker ones on your back for this."

"Right," Tyrone and Allen said. They and Grace each took their partners on their back and began the walk upwards to the cold rocky path.

"Whoa, you're really strong!" Kit commented to Grace on her back. The guide gave him a little smile.

"You would be surprised at what I can pick up back when I was in Heaven," she said.

"Can we please get on with it?" Harry asked on Tyrone's back, "The storm's really picking up and it's going to look really nasty."

"Right," Grace replied, "Let's get moving." The angels picked up their walk on the icy path going upwards. Halfway up, the wind really picked up.

"It's freezing," Kit complained. He looked over at Grace. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry about that," she brushed off, "We have to cross through this now." However, that worry only grew when a drop landed on his left cheek. The mechanic looked up to see the rain pouring down.

"Oh shit," Allen mumbled.

"Everyone ready to break into a run?" the guide asked.

"Yes!" the rest of the team answered.

"Alright, three… two… one!" Grace shouted. The team took off in a run. However, the freezing rain and slippery path caused them to all to slip and fall into the violent blowing winds carrying downwards into unknown section of the valley.


End file.
